Good Food Guide 2020: How to eat at hatted restaurants for less

• Good Food Guide 2020: The full list of hats

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the more chef's hats a restaurant possesses, the more it will cost to eat there.

Of the six restaurants awarded the Good Food Guide 2020's top rating of three hats, Sydney's Sixpenny is the least expensive with a tasting menu priced at $165. Meanwhile, at Brae in Birregurra, south-west Victoria, guests can expect to cough up $280 a head before drinks.

Dining at Australia's best restaurants doesn't have to cost more than a return flight to Wellington, however, and with 260 venues awarded one or more hats in the new edition of Good Food Guide, there's myriad ways to eat very well on a budget. It just takes a bit of planning and self-control.

Viva Italia

Provided it's not flecked with lobster or covered in truffle, pasta is a reliable date-night dish that won't break the bank. More hatted Italian restaurants are opening each year, too, likely due to Australia's love of comfort food and the (relatively) low cost of making food inspired by The Boot. A little bit of lamb goes a long way in ragu.

Seek out a BYO

High mark-ups means restaurant-bought wine can cost at least double a bottle's retail price, so bring your own booze and save. The Good Food Guide indicates if a restaurant is BYO-friendly and many listed venues now offer the uniquely Australian service.

Book in for dinner and a show

You don't actually need theatre tickets to take advantage of a restaurant's pre-theatre menu, just a willingness to eat dinner reasonably early. Hatted restaurants near concert halls often provide great value deals designed to have customers out the door before 7.30pm.

Resist the optional extras

Luxury items such as oysters, cocktails, cheese and champagne can blow best-laid budget plans, so resist the waiter's offer of something fizzy or briny to start. A note on wine sold by the glass here, too – it's becoming increasingly expensive, so always check the price before it's poured to avoid potential burgundy bill shock.

Go vego

Fresh vegetables are almost invariably cheaper than meat, and plant-based dishes have moved way beyond mushroom risotto and variations of minestrone soup. Many hatted chefs now wield the power of natural flavour enhancers such as miso and seaweed, meaning vegetarian dishes can taste twice as good as their meat-focused counterparts, for half the price.

The Good Food Guide's third annual national edition is on sale now in newsagencies and bookstores, and available to order at thestore.com.au/gfg20 for $29.99 with free shipping.

Top hatted value in Sydney

Bar snacks at Catalina, Rose Bay

Restaurateur couple Michael and Judy McMahon celebrated 25 years of their special-occasion diner in September, and the bar menu is a top way to experience Catalina's luxe atmosphere without pushing the boat out too far. Prawns and oysters al fresco are the right idea.

Brunch at Yellow, Potts Point

The quietly glamorous vegetarian restaurant awarded Wine List of the Year in the Good Food Guide also offers brunch every weekend. Now featuring a quinoa and pumpkin vegan burger that chef Brent Savage has been perfecting for the last six months.

BYO at Sean's Panaroma​, North Bondi

Sean's already has a cracking Australian wine selection to complement its blackboard menu and beach views, but the option to bring-your-own booze makes the package even more appealing.

Lunch at Pilu, Freshwater

Take the day off work for a $78 two-course Sardinian lunch special offered weekdays at Giovanni Pilu​'s two-hatted restaurant on the water. Starring fregula with octopus ragu, perhaps, and suckling pig slow-roasted on the bone.

Pre-theatre dining at Aria, Sydney

Matt Moran's flagship fine diner serves a two-course $90 pre-theatre menu every evening from 5.30pm to 7pm. (The standard four-course menu at Aria is $175.) Post-theatre options are also available.

Top hatted value in Melbourne

Cellar night at Bacash, South Yarra

Friday night is "cellar night" at Michael Bacash's fish-focused fine diner, meaning you can BYO without corkage.

Counter meals at Lui Bar, Melbourne

Vue de Monde's sister bar features the same soaring Rialto views of its fancy sibling next door but minus the $275 tasting menu price-tag. A $38 counter meal is offered Thursday to Sunday with complimentary wine and no reservations needed.

Lazy Sundays at Bar Liberty, Fitzroy

With excellent food and lively informality, this small wine bar offers a $45 three-course shared menu every Sunday lunch, known to feature rainbow trout with braised fennel and a stellar lemon meringue pie.

Speed lunch at Bar Lourinha​, Melbourne

Score a bar stool and tuck into a $28 two-course menu at this cornerstone of Euro-centric dining. Service is swift, so take a few drink detours if you're keen for a longer innings and keep a bowl of vinegary pickled peppers on the go.

Weekday lunch at French Saloon, Melbourne

Hardware Lane's premier saloon, bar and bistro is home to a weekday menu where $58 buys you three course of modern French fare in one of Melbourne's most romantic rooms. Cheap dates don't get any better.